Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus.
Discussion of the Related Art
Laundry treatment apparatuses are apparatuses that remove contaminants from clothing, bedding or the like (hereinafter, referred to as “laundry”) by putting laundry into a drum. Such a laundry treatment apparatus may perform washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying processes. The laundry treatment apparatus typically includes a main body forming the external appearance thereof, a tub disposed inside the main body, a drum rotatably mounted inside the tub and configured to receive laundry put thereinto, and a detergent supply device for supplying detergent to the drum.
The laundry treatment apparatus is classified into a top-loading type and a front-loading type according to the direction in which laundry is put into a drum. The front-loading-type washing machine is generally called a drum-type washing machine. Recently, not only a drum-type washing machine in which only one drum is provided in a main body but also a drum-type washing machine in which an additional sub-drum is provided in a lower portion of a main body in order to wash a small amount of laundry has become commercially available.
A conventional drum-type washing machine includes a detergent supply unit positioned in an upper portion of a main body. A user may draw the detergent supply unit in the forward direction from the main body by pulling the same, and may withdraw a detergent container out of the same. However, this constitution makes it difficult to supply a large amount of detergent through the detergent supply unit. Further, because the detergent supply unit is located at a conspicuous position, that is, a position over the drum in the main body, it degrades the appearance of the product.
A drum-type washing machine according to the present invention is constructed such that a detergent box accommodation part, into which a box for containing liquid detergent that is to be supplied to a drum for the washing process is inserted, is positioned below the drum. The detergent box accommodation part is divided into a detergent box insertion part, into which the detergent box is inserted, and a filter insertion part, into which a filter is inserted. The drum-type washing machine according to the present invention further includes a detergent injection door, which enables a user to open or close the above insertion parts as needed.
A conventional drum-type washing machine includes a detergent box and a detergent pump for pumping detergent out of the detergent box.
However, there is a problem in that detergent leaks through a gap between the detergent box and the detergent pump due to the low coupling force therebetween.
Further, because detergent is not completely pumped out of the conventional detergent box by the detergent pump and a part thereof remains in the detergent box, a user is required to refill the detergent box even when the detergent is not completely used up, which is inconvenient.
Further, it is difficult to clean the interior of the conventional detergent box with water because a check valve is provided at the detergent box in an integral manner.
Furthermore, the conventional detergent box has a sealing structure formed at a detergent supply port; however, an elastic member composing the sealing structure is liable to be separated from the detergent supply port due to its own elastic force when the tub vibrates.